How to be a great friend in 2018

The word “lovable” is all the rage these days, and it’s no surprise that it has come to describe people of all ages.

But what makes a person likable?

How do you know if someone is really likable, or is just an easy target to mock?

We asked a panel of experts to answer these questions and more.

The experts are: Emily Purnell, Ph.

D., director of the Psychology of Friendship and Relationships Program at the University of Colorado, Boulder; Susan A. Ritvo, Ph.-D., professor of sociology at the College of William and Mary, author of “The Psychology of Love: A Sociology of Friendship” and a member of the Council of Graduate Schools of Social Psychology; and Karen M. Zuckerman, M.D. and assistant professor of psychology at the Mayo Clinic.